


Learning Curve

by End_Of_The_World_Is_Here



Series: In Which Venom Learns to Read. [2]
Category: Venom (Comics), Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Anxiety, Books!, Communication, F/M, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Venom Symbiote (Marvel), M/M, Movie!Eddie and Comic!Venom, Other, Venom Can't Read, mentions of questionable taste in books, symbrock
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 11:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17058869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/End_Of_The_World_Is_Here/pseuds/End_Of_The_World_Is_Here
Summary: Venom reads the dictionary. The ENTIRE Dictionary. Vocabulary-related Shenanigans Ensue.





	Learning Curve

The only sounds in the apartment were the tapping of Eddie's keyboard and the skritching of crayons on paper. Eddie was forcing himself through an investigation of a local drug ring that had been exposed by San Francisco's very own ‘Demon’, grateful his Other was being relatively quiet in their shared headspace.

In the past two weeks, Venom had gone from a first grade reading level to nearly fourth, and the loop of praise and warmth between them left them both in companionable silence.

Venom rippled up from their place on the coffee table, secondhand anticipation pulling Eddie from his writing.

**EDDIE, DO WE HAVE A DICTIONARY?**

Eddie thought for a second, looking at his wide-eyed other, “Uh, probably. Why?”

**WANNA READ IT.**

Eddie raised an eyebrow, “You wanna read the dictionary?” The question was asked in a surprised monotone.

**YES. WE WANT BETTER WORDS.**

Eddie glanced around the apartment, his eyes resting on the new bookshelf, a gift from Annie.

_“You need to actually unpack your books, Eddie. You have too many for them to still be in boxes_ ,” she'd said as he unwrapped the IKEA box on his birthday.

Pulled back to the present, Venom was looking at him expectantly. Eddie gestured to the overfilled shelf,

“It should be over there, the thick red one with the yellow writing.”

**THANK YOU.**

Venom made their way over to it and began their search. Eddie returned to writing with a contented sigh.

\---

**EDDIE, CAN WE SAY MELANCHOLY?**

“... Melancholy?” Eddie said, feeling a mix of annoyance and ‘ _we love you but you really are a dumbass’_ flow over their bond.

**IN A CONVERSATION.**

“Oh,” Venom had sounded exasperated, “Sure, we'll find a way to fit it in.”

**HOW ABOUT DEFENESTRATION?**

Venom grinned, “I guess?” His other radiated thanks.

\---

“So. How's life treating the two of you?” Dan asked, taking a sip of wine, and smiling gently at Eddie,

“Eh, pretty good, all things considered.” A chorus of ‘ **_SAY THE WORDS, SAY THE WORDS_ ** ’ echoed around Eddie's skull, “Haven't defenestrated anyone in our _daily_ life.” Venom sent over the approximation of a smile.

Annie raised an eyebrow at the word choice,

“That's some dark language, Eddie. Don't go throwing anyone out of windows.” Annie joked,

“Eh, well we do have some melancholic tendencies,” Eddie tried to sound casual as he scratched the back of his head, smiling internally at Venom’s purr of happiness.

“‘Melancholic’? Eddie, no matter how you paint it, it’s still depression.” Annie’s comment could’ve been seen as harsh, if she wasn’t grinning. Anne and Dan, so good a couple that their names rhymed, had invited them out for dinner, just to catch up.

Eddie still wasn’t convinced that he deserved their friendship, but whenever he started thinking along those lines, Venom would press against heart in an uncomfortable yet reassuring gesture.

“True, true. But we _have_ gotten better. Nominally.”

“Fair enough, but you will call us if it starts getting bad again?” Anne said, and Venom nodded for them, jerkily.

“How’re the reading lessons going, Venom?” Annie questioned. Eddie’s other asked for silent permission, which Eddie gladly turned over.

His voice was deep and gravelly, similar to Venom’s actual voice, but unsettling coming from Eddie’s mouth.

**“GOOD. WE ARE TRYING TO INCORPORATE LARGER WORDS INTO OUR VOCABULARY.”**

“It sounds like it!” She sounded proud, “We’re gonna need to get you some actual books soon.”

“What’s wrong with the books we already have?” Eddie feigned offense,

“You have maybe one series that’s not super heavy, isn’t Harry Potter, and wasn’t _accidentally_ taken from _my_ library.”

“You’re one to judge. I left you the Pern books.” Eddie smiled and narrowed his eyes,

“You forgot the Pern books.” Anne returned the gesture.

Neither of them was actually mad, and Dan was watching this exchange with an amused expression. Venom was getting anxious, but didn’t want to let on.

“But you were happy with them! And now you're judging our taste in literature,” Eddie crossed his arms and pretended to look offended. Venom did a few nervous laps in Eddie's gut,

“Taste in literature aside, I think your Christmas is sorted.” Dan commented with a smile,

“Unless you're happy with your “taste” in “literature”-” Annie said with air quotes,

**“NO.”** Venom took his voice back, sounding genuinely worried, **“WE WOULD LIKE THE BOOKS.”**

“Oh, V, honey. We were just joking, you don't need to worry.” Anne assured, her eyes wide.

‘ _Yeah, sorry for worrying you, love.’_ Eddie thought to his Other, who had twisted themselves into an uncomfortable knot in Eddie's chest, which slowly unraveled as Venom calmed down,

**BAD JOKE.**

Venom's voice was almost a whisper, even inside of their shared headspace.

‘ _Kind of, yeah. Sorry.’_ Eddie assured, putting a hand over where he felt his other,

**NOT ANGRY?**

‘ _Not angry.’_ Eddie confirmed,

**GOOD.**

Venom purred in his chest, Annie looked at them with a worried expression, sharing a glance with Dan.

“We're good, just got a little spooked.” Eddie said, smiling tiredly,

“ **NOT SPOOKED.”** Venom grumbled aloud,

“Sorry, Venom; Really.” Anne apologized,

“How about we check out the used bookstore down the street after this, get V's collection started.” Dan suggested,

Venom nodded enthusiastically for them, and their head bobbed unnaturally.

“Yeah, that'd be cool. I mean if you guys want to.” Eddie scratched the back of his head,

“Consider it a late birthday slash early Christmas present.” Anne grinned.

\----

The situation relaxed after that, peppered with questions from Venom, including but not limited to:

**WHAT MAKES A BOOK USED?**

**SHOULD WE BE WORRIED THAT THE BOOKS ARE ‘USED’?**

**WHAT KIND OF BOOK SHOULD WE GET?**

**HOW** **_MANY_ ** **BOOKS CAN WE GET?**

\---

The door to the used bookstore creaked open, and a bell sounded, signaling their entrance. Eddie walked in after Anne, while Dan held the door open. Eddie felt Venom's eyes widen internally, and their jaw drop. Eddie gave them the okay to take over, and Venom looked around feverishly, taking in all the covers, their senses were nearly overwhelmed by the old book smell as Venom ran their hand along the spines.

Eddie figured their eyes were bugging out of their head, but didn’t really care since his other was… **ECSTATIC?** His Other supplied, thumbing through a Dr. Seuss book, before adding it to the small pile under their arm. _Ecstatic._ Eddie repeated.

That works.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Still have that sinus infection lmao
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @end-of-the-world-is-here


End file.
